Older men told to watch their backs!
Cancer Council has launched a new skin cancer campaign aimed at encouraging Aussie blokes to look for changes on their skin, as figures showed their risk of dying from melanoma was more than double than that of females.
Cancer Council has launched a new skin cancer campaign aimed at encouraging Aussie blokes to look for changes on their skin, as figures showed their risk of dying from melanoma was more than double than that of females.
The new skin cancer awareness campaign was aimed at men aged 45 years and older and warned men with its tagline to ‘watch their back!’
Professor Brenda Wilson, Cancer Council SA chief executive, said it was a “scary fact” that 77 South Australian men die from melanoma each year.
Melanoma, the fourth most common cancer in Australia, was more commonly diagnosed in men than women. The risk of being diagnosed with melanoma by the age of 85 is one in 15 for men, compared to one in 24 for women.
Professor Wilson explained although melanoma can develop anywhere on the body, about one in three cases in men occur on the back.
“Your chances of surviving melanoma increases significantly the earlier it is detected, so getting someone to help check your whole body, including your back, is vital,” she said.
National Cancer Council figures released recently also showed prevention messages were being ignored by older South Australian men. When it came to wearing sunscreen, older men fell below the already low national average of 24% to 17%.
Chair of the South Australian Faculty of Dermatology, Dr Jennifer Menz, claimed she had seen many skin cancers in older men diagnosed at a later stage.
“Too many South Australian men still have the ‘she’ll be right’ attitude when it comes to their health, let alone skin cancer.
“Many men from this group missed out on sun protection messages growing up and have done a lot of damage to their skin as a result. Men need to be vigilant about checking their skin, particularly if they have worked outdoors,” Dr Menz said.
For information on skin cancer prevention and early detection, call Cancer Council Helpline on 13 11 20.
